Contents

Overview

The Liberty City Police Department is around 40,000 police officers strong with many different roles, most notably "walking the beat" on patrol all throughout Liberty City. They reign in a "complete operational" status over Liberty City, meaning they are the single law enforcement organization in the whole city even if the FIB and the NOOSE are also here. The LCPD is then organized into different divisions. They include Highway Patrol Units, Tactical Response Units from the NOOSE, Aviation Units, plain-clothes police officers from the Anti-Crime Department and the Harbour Units, College Patrol Unit, Mafia and Organized crime unit. The Aviation unit of the LCPD (formed in 2001) has a fleet of helicopters (consisting of Mavericks) which are on constant patrol. Aviation assistance can be summoned from one of the four police stations with aviation facilities. The Police Mavericks can be seen often in the skies of Liberty City, most often patrolling with NOOSE Annihilators above major bridges such as the Hickey Bridge and East Borough Bridge, looking for potential sightings of terrorism. The LCPD is otherwise underfunded, unable to afford specialized pursuit vehicles beyond that of the Vapid (Ford Crown Victoria) Police Cruisers and the DeClasse Merit (Chevy Impala) Police Patrols. They occasionally injure or kill the very citizens they are assigned to "protect and serve"; some Police Vehicles accidentally hit and/or kill civilians while chasing the player or another suspect.
The "College Patrol Unit" is a College type of Police Force, they are found in Varsity Heights and near Vespucci University. They patrol for any unrully college typical behavior, drinking, drug use, fights, disturbance of peace, however if Niko, Johnny or Luis commit a crime they will call for back up and arrest him or thus will try to kill them.

LCPD officers on the run.

The LCPD is known for its very aggressive techniques in pursuing crime, most notably, saturating an affected area of high crime rate with dozens of police officers and patrol cars. They take the famous NYPD rationale of having a large police presence ensuring prevention and quick response. In times of emergency they respond appropriately, and pour all available resources into stopping or containing an incident. The LCPD, along with the NOOSE and the FIB, become extremely aggressive when the player is wanted and continue to use deadly force against player even after the protagonist has died and "grayed out". While chasing criminals, the player, or occasionally whilst driving, police vehicles hit civilians. LCPD Officers are sometimes seen writing tickets (as noticed around Middle Park and in HighWay Patrol duties on the various bridges where they await speeders). LCPD officers on foot patrol are sometimes seen chasing and apprehending criminals at gunpoint; after they are cornered by the pursuing officer(s), a marked police car is contacted to take the criminal away for processing. The LCPD is also on an active recruiting campaign, with "Join The LCPD" posters and billboards at select locations throughout the city, and adorning the front of the LCPD The Triangle/Star Junction subway station, (which is in front of a Liberty City services booth). They also appear in the streets if the player dials 911 to summon a Police Vehicle with two police officers inside. The front passenger will check around for any incidents, while the police officer in the Police Vehicle will remain in the it unless an emergency occurs. However, if they are nothing happening, the front passenger will come back to the Police Vehicle. The front passenger will also say that nothing happened to the driver. Something to the driver nothing happened while he is reaching the Police Vehicle.

LCPD officers in action.

If an assailant attacks a police officer investigating a location from a 911 call, the two officers, wielding Glock 17 pistols, will pursue the criminal and attempt to catch him. Responding officers always draw their sidearms when faced with a suspect. If there aren't any criminals around, they will get back inside their cruiser and leave or, in case of officers on foot patrol, continue walking. Unlike civilians, who report crimes via the telephone, a lengthy process, police sightings are reported immediately. Further crimes, attacking a police officer, and evading arrest will increase the player's Wanted Level. When the player reaches two stars, additional Police Vehicles are sent to the area, and the officers in the front passenger seat of the Police Vehicles will step out wielding pump-action Ithaca 37 "Stakeout" shotguns. At three stars, the NOOSE Immigration And Patriotism Authority will join the fight with NOOSE Patriots and NOOSE Cruisers with LCPD officers firing on the player with shotguns and handguns, as well as a Police Maverick to oversee the scene and follow fleeing suspects. The helicopters will have two LCPD riflemen equipped with M4A1s and a LCPD pilot on board; the riflemen will engage the suspect on sight. The front passengers of the NOOSE patrol vehicles will also wield shotguns. At four stars, instead of LCPD officers in a Police Maverick, the same helicopter is deployed with two NOOSE Tactical Respone Unit riflemen with M4A1s, and a NOOSE Tacrtical Response Unit pilot as well as NOOSE Enforcers carrying four NOOSE Tactical Response Unit Officers with body armor and M4A1s, MP-10 submachine guns, shotguns and Glock 17s. At five and six stars, two NOOSE Annihilators are deployed carrying two NOOSE Tactical Response Unit Officers riflemen with M4A1s and a NOOSE pilot on board, as well as FIB Buffaloes, complete with four FIB Agents with body armors and equipped with M4A1s, MP-10 submachine guns, shotguns, and Glock 17s. Also at five and six stars, the LCPD, the NOOSE and the FIB will start to shoot out of their vehicles. LCPD officers are authorized to commandeer civilian vehicles to give chase to a suspect or respond to an emergency, they will often stating it as "Official Police Business" to the driver as they pull them out of the car.

Equipment

Vehicles

In GTA IV, LCPD officers on the streets commonly drive two variants of police cars: the Police Patrol and the Police Cruiser, based on the Chevrolet Impala and Ford Crown Victoria, respectively. These serve as their primary pursuit vehicle of choice when the player reaches a 1-3 stars wanted level, and will continue to appear in conjunction with NOOSE and FIB forces in a 4 star wanted level or higher. In GTA: Chinatown Wars, the LCPD is only equipped with the Police Patrol (although game art of both the Police Patrol and Police Cruiser are still used when the player is Busted), and only appears up to a 4 star wanted level (alongside NOOSE Enforcers), as the FIB takes over at 5 stars.

The LCPD also extends their authority in the air in GTA IV with the use of Police Mavericks, which commonly patrol the sky even when the player does not have a wanted level. Police Mavericks will occasionally join a 1 or 2-star wanted level when they happen to be within close proximity of the player, but the helicopter is certain to appear only when the player has a 3 star wanted level with LCPD riflemen armed with M4A1s and a LCPD pilot, however, at 4 stars, the Police Maverick will come with two NOOSE Tactical Response Unit Officers riflemen aswell as a NOOSE Tactical Response Unit pilot; the NOOSE Annihilator takes over from 5-6 stars onwards with NOOSE riflemen armed with M4A1s and a NOOSE pilot. At sea, the LCPD is equipped with Police Predator, which appear when the player has 3 stars or more. The boats carry a police officer that pursues the player, with two police officers armed with M4A1s at the back who will use deadly force against the player. The Ballad Of Gay Tony also includes two more LCPD Vehicles, the Police Buffalo (named "Police Cruiser" in-game) and the Police Bike, a police motorcycle. Neither vehicle is used by LCPD officers, and they are only available in the MultiPlayer of The Ballad Of Gay Tony. A third police vehicle, the Police Stinger, does not bear the LCPD's signature blue-and-white livery, but does bear the LCPD's logo. The Police Stinger is also not used by the LCPD officers in-game as a pursuit vehicle.

Weapons and other portable equipment

The LCPD Officers carry a range of equipment on their gun belts and in their cars. As a weapon of defense, an ASP collapsible baton is in place on the officers' gun belts, but the Police Officers do not utilize the weapon at all in game. The baton is reinstated in the GTA: Chinatown Wars rendition of the LCPD. The Department-issue police firearm is the Glock 17 pistol in .40 S&W caliber. This is used when making felony arrests, pursuing suspects and in self-defense against a deadly threat. If a police officer is disarmed, they will resort to using their fists to defend themselves. If police officers are patrolling in a Police Cruiser or a Police Patrol (patrol vehicles always have two police officers on board), and the suspect has a two star wanted level or more, the police officer in the front passenger seat will carry the Ithaca Model 37 pump-action shotgun with 6 12-gauge 00-buck rounds in the magazine tube. The Police Officers guarding places of high security such as the Statue Of Happiness, Civilization Committee Headquarters and the Rotterdam Tower will carry M4A1 Carbine assault rifles in 5.56 NATO caliber, which is a good deterrent of both terrorist activity and everyday crime. When the suspect has a five star wanted level or more, Police Officers will often attempt to shoot the player with PSG-1 Sniper Rifles from some rooftops, specifically those in Chinatown and The Exchange.

The LCPD officers also carry personal radios in order to report crimes and call for assistance and backup - they can sometimes be seen talking into them while patrolling, as can security guards.

Uniforms

Artwork for the LCPD during game loading

The uniforms of the LCPD resemble that of the famous New York Police Department (NYPD).

Depending on the in-game weather, the Police Officers may be wearing different uniforms, such as a raincoat with LCPD in yellow at the back and a white hat cover, however, some Police Officers can wear a rain coat with a Police Hat that doesn't have a white hat cover, only the scripted Police Officers in missions or throughout Liberty City do, though, like the one of the three Police Officers in one of the Police Stations of Algonquin. The uniforms of the Police Officers are generally navy blue with black buttons and navy blue shoes. Police officers can wear either a long sleeve, short sleeve, or short sleeve with a long sleeve black under shirt. Officers also wear a navy blue LCPD hat and have the choice of wearing ties and police jackets. The tie clips of the police officers have "LCPD" engraved in the middle. Police officers who wear sky blue shirts, as opposed to navy blue shirts, are Traffic Enforcement Officers, it can be seen by the different badge and patch on the officers with sky blue shirts. Despite the fact the game classifies them as Traffic Enforcement Officers, they do not perform the usual duties of Traffic Enforcement Officers such as issuing citations. Traffic Enforcement Officers, unlike their real-life counterparts, are armed.

The Alderney Police Officers wear different uniforms than the Liberty City Police Department. Alderney Police Department's police uniforms bear resemblance to those of the New Jersey State Police (NJSP). However, their Police Stations bear the LCPD logo, as do their Police Vehicles.

The LCPD also set up a sting site known as www.LittleLacySurprisePageant.com, which is used to catch people attempting to access child pornography. If the WebSite is interfaced, the player will immediately receive a five star Wanted Level after leaving the logging off the computer.

Logo

Although the logo is based on the original NYPD, it is clearly noticable that the LCPD is known for Police Brutality. In the middle of the logo, two Police Officers are shown with batons dragging a man on the floor. Below this the scales of justice are weighing a coffee cup and a doughnut. The Alderney police officers bear a State Police logo on their shoulder pads, the same as the NJSP, although the Police Stations bear the LCPD's logo, as do their vehicles.

Trivia

The LCPD Blotter page.

In Grand Theft Auto IV, the LCPD patrols in Alderney. However, Alderney is a separate state from Liberty City. The only difference between the Liberty City Police Department and the Alderney Police Department is the uniform. Also, the Alderney Police Officers are more serious and less likely to say goofy things and even announce them selves as State Troopers to the player.

Killing one Police Officer by running them down with a vehicle will gain the player a one star Wanted Level instead of three because it is considered as an "accidental kill". Running over two or more at the same time will gain three stars.

There is an occasional glitch where if the player hits a Police Vehicle at very high speeds, the player will not gain a wanted star for an unknown reason. The occupants of the Police Vehicle will simply ignore the fact the player hits them.

At higher Wanted Level (five and six stars), the LCPD seem to begin disappearing as more FIB Agents and NOOSE Tactical Response Unit Officers begin to show up. This may indicate that the LCPD are handing over the chase to the better prepared and more capable law enforcement agencies.

When the player has a three star wanted level, the officer talking through the tannoy of the police helicopter often shouts "This is the LPCD!", when in fact it should be LCPD. This could indicate that the helicopter Pilots care less about shouting LCPD to the player than normal Police Officers.

At the LCPD Station in East Holland, if the player enters the parking lot in the back and ascends the stairs up to the helipad, he can find three Police Officers surrounding a person lying down on the floor.

On the beach in the northwestern corner of Bohan, the player can find one lone Police Officer standing next to a homeless person lying on the sand.

GTA IV is unique for letting the player be able to shoot the gun off an enemy without killing the enemy. When a Police Officer's pistol is shot off, the Police Officer will flee. When any other weapons a Police Officer is wielding is shot off, he will pull out a pistol. However, for the the NOOSE and the FIB, they will use a SMG or a Pump-Action ShotGun as a secondary secondary weapon, when the secondary weapon is also shot, they will use a pistol. Also, when a NOOSE Tactical Response Unit Officer or a FIB Agent has a secondary weapon as a primary weapon and that it is shot, he will use another secondary weapon (they will always change it, for example, if a FIB Agent's primary weapon SMG is shot, they will use a Pump-Action ShotGun as a secondary weapon) and if the secondary weapon is shot, they will use a pistol. Also, NOOSE Tactical Response Unit Officers and FIB Agents can sometimes only use a pistol as a secondary weapon when their primary weapon is shot. However, the Police Officers armed with ShotGuns will drop it when they will shoot with it for too long because they have no more ammunition and after they drop the ShotGun, they will use a pistol.

A Liberty City Police Department Twitter Page can be found. It includes fictitious crimes from throughout the city sort of like a Police Scanner.

Though there are only male Police Officers present in GTA IV, originally there were female Police Officers as well, as seen in the first Trailer.

If you are in the water with at least a 3-star Wanted Level, a LCPD driver and two Police Officers armed with Carbine Rifles with LCPD Officers will fire of the back off a LCPD Predator (the Police Boat of the GTA Series).

You can easily steal a Police Patrol or Police Cruiser from behind the Westminster Police Station and the Algonquin Police Station. Beside the Police Station, there is a walled in alley which leads to the back of the Police Station. There will always be either a Police Cruiser or Police Patrol parked back there. It is locked, but, no alarm will sound when Niko breaks the window to steal the car, and no police officers will see you steal the car, so you won't get a wanted level.

In The Ballad Of Gay Tony, there is an LCPD MotorCycle, but the Police never use it.

Outside some LCPD Stations, you can find a sign asking you to join the LCPD. It has a phone number on it saying 555-RECRUIT, you can phone it but nothing will happen.

The radios which the Police Officers carry along with them are unlimited, sometimes they will drop it to the ground whenever they are done using it, but they will use another one if they need it again. The radios dropped by the Police Officers can be picked up by the player and they can be thrown as objects. Should a Police Officer contact or receive command through their radios for more than one time while on the same spot, the radios dropped by the Police Officer will end up flooding the ground. However, the police officers usually stick it in their pocket, the most efficient way to make them let the radio fall on the ground is to push them, thus making them use another one.

In GTA IV, whenever NPCs are arrested and escorted to a police vehicle (Police Cruiser or Police Patrol), the Police Officers in the police vehicle will usually drive the Criminal NPC around the road without even making effort to transport them to a Police Station. Usually, after a few spins around the road, the criminal will eventually get off the Police Vehicle without even being treated as resisting arrest.

In GTA IV, players can get NPC Drivers arrested by a nearby Police Officer by attacking the NPCs' vehicles with their fist or a melee weapon (doing this does not gives the player any wanted level), causing the NPC drivers to get out of their vehicle, and attack the player which will cause the nearby Police Officers to take action against the NPC without having the player to retaliate the NPC. Players are advised to get near to the nearest Police Vehicle and/or Police Officer while being attacked by the NPC (note that not all NPCs retaliate). Also, for doing it with a NPC who is not driving a car, the player needs to be far away from the Police. If not, the Police Officer(s) will arrest the player instead of the NPC.

The LCPD HeadQuarters in Lower Easton is conveniently located across from a Rusty Brown's donut shop (police officers are often stereotyped as having a love for donuts), though this may just be a coincidence.

If the player goes to Silicon Street in Varsity Heights, Algonquin (the street one block south of the major street with a Burger Shot and a bridge leading to Alderney) with five or six stars, he will find Police Officers on the roof shooting with PSG-1s. Also, some Police Officers will also be armed with PSG-1s at the top of some buildings when the player is at 5 stars or 6 stars.

In one of the loading screens of GTA IV, two LCPD Officers are seen. One of them is carrying a SPAS-12 with a folded stock and the other is carrying an MP5A3. Neither of these two weapons are available for the player to use in the actual game but a variant of the MP5A3 called the MP-10 is available. The MP5 was seen being wielded by Niko in screenshots before the game was released but was cut.

If the player is chased by LCPD Officers near the safehouse, sometimes the Police Officers will get in to the player's car.

Sometimes, if the player attains a 1-star wanted level in front of a Police Officer, he might say "Out comes Rosco!", this is a reference to The Dukes Of Hazzard where one of the County Sheriffs is named Rosco.

Sometimes the player may hear an argument between the helicopter pilot and one of the two riflemen in GTA IV. This is an exact example of one of their many conversations:

- "Hey, this is the LPCD!"

- "It's the LCPD, you damned idiot."

- "Hey, don't be gettin' in my face now!"

- "Shut up and shoot this fucking murderer."

- "You ain't my boss."

- "I said shoot the fucking gun!"

- "You should lose your edge."

- "Hey, not everyone ca... Oh shit, is this thing on?!"

- "You didn't hear anything, people."

This may be a reference to the LCPD's carelessness and inexperience with helicopters.

If the player gets a 3-star wanted level, they will soon be pursed by Police Mavericks. However, if the player gets a wanted level of 1 star or 2 stars and a helicopter of any sort is flying by (such as Annihilator gunships or regular Mavericks), they will follow them. The helicopters will not appear on the radar, will only have one occupant and will never shoot at the player. They will only shout taunts.

In an Art Work (see above) of some LCPD Officers, one Police Officer is firing a Desert Eagle and another one is holding a pistol that resembles the Beretta M9. This is inaccurate, as the Desert Eagle is never used by the LCPD, and the Beretta M9 is not seen in the game. This possibly means that the Desert Eagle might have originally been used by the Police, and that the Beretta M9 might have originally been in the game.

Despite yelling numerous warnings at civilians while chasing the player, the police seem to have no regard for human life, going so far as running down pedestrians in an attempt to catch the player. This is quite amusing, as they don't even slow down. Near the end of a chase, the front of a police car may be stained with the blood of innocent pedestrians.

The name badge on one of the Alderney State officers is Meschel.

There is a LCPD FaceBook Page with informations and scenarios about the LCPD.

Slim Police officers can be Caucasian, African-American, Asian-American or Latin (but in this case they are Caucasian officers which say words in spanish).